Thunder 111, Hawks 104
Kevin Durant, whose status was doubtful because of a sprained ankle, scored 29 points and led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 111-104 win over the host Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.
Durant, who leads the NBA in scoring with a 28.4 average, injured his left ankle Wednesday and didn't practice Thursday. Thunder coach Scott Brooks didn't expect his star to play, but his 40-minute court presence was bad news for the Hawks. Durant was 10-of-18 from the field, including four 3-pointers, and netted 18 points in the first half.
Joe Johnson led Atlanta (37-25) with 24 points. Kirk Hinrich, playing in his fourth game since being acquired from Washington, added 21.
Russell Westbrook scored 28 points, including a late 3-pointer to seal the win, while James Harden added 17 for Oklahoma City (38-22).
The Thunder hit eight consecutive shots over a five-minute stretch in the third quarter to turn a 65-63 lead into an 81-69 margin.
Trailing 94-81, the Hawks, who rallied from a 19-point deficit to beat Chicago on Wednesday, cut the lead to 102-100 with 1:27 to play on Marvin Williams' rebound basket. Westbrook's 3-pointer put the Thunder up by five with 1:12 remaining.
Second-leading scorer Josh Smith (16.7 ppg) missed his second straight game for the Hawks with a sprained right knee. Jamal Crawford scored 19 points for Atlanta, while Al Horford, who scored 31 and had 16 rebounds against the Bulls, contributed 15 points and 12 rebounds.